[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HATCH ACT REFORM ACT OF 2006

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                        of district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 15, 2006

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, with Government Reform Committee Chairman 
Tom Davis, I am introducing the District of Columbia Hatch Act Reform 
Act of 2006 to eliminate the discriminatory treatment of the District 
of Columbia under the federal Hatch Act. This bill would retain federal 
Hatch Act authority concerning prohibited partisan and political 
activity that applies to every state because of the receipt of federal 
funds and importantly, would require the District to enact its own 
local version of the Hatch Act barring similar local violations, to 
become effective. Such a bill would, of course, automatically be held 
over for Congressional review for 30 legislative days as required by 
the Home Rule Act, typically affording several months before a District 
law may become effective, more than ample time for review and 
compliance with this bill. The House recognized that the present 
federal Hatch Act jurisdiction over D.C. was obsolete by removing this 
federal responsibility several years ago, but the Senate failed to act 
accordingly. Local Hatch Act violations in the District are rare, but 
the District needs its own Hatch Act to fully account and be 
responsible for local violations, with which a local objective body 
would be most familiar and should bear the cost of alleged violations.
  This bill will leave in place the federal Hatch Act restrictions on 
the use of official authority as it relates to elections; the 
solicitation, acceptance, or receiving of political campaign 
contributions; and the prohibitions on running for public office in 
partisan elections and the use of on-duty time and resources to engage 
in partisan campaign. activity. My bill would remove only the federal 
Hatch Act jurisdiction that applies solely to the District of Columbia 
and would require the District to have its own local Hatch Act, like 
every other jurisdiction, instead of requiring the Office of Personnel 
Management and its Special Counsel to spend time on investigation, 
fact-finding and judgment of unfamiliar local matters. The District 
will bear this local responsibility and a dual inequity--denigration of 
local government at the expense of the federal government--would end.

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